WANTUCK'S 44-YARD FIELD GOAL GIVES JMU 30-29 FOOTBALL WIN

Saturday, November 5

Williamsburg, Va.

James Madison University

5-4 , 3-3

William and Mary

5-4 , 3-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

James Madison

William & Mary

WANTUCK'S 44-YARD FIELD GOAL GIVES JMU 30-29 FOOTBALL WIN

11/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Nov. 5, 2005 – Senior Paul Wantuck (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) kicked a 44-yard field goal with three seconds to play to lift James Madison to 30-29 Atlantic 10 Football Conference victory over William & Mary Saturday.

The Dukes got the ball for the final time at their 20 with 1:43 remaining after a William & Mary punt and drove 53 yards in nine plays for Wantuck's first career field goal. Junior quarterback Justin Rascati (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz) hit on five straight passes for 42 yards, and JMU overcame a holding penalty during the decisive drive. Junior tailback Alvin Banks (Hampton, Va./Hampton) had runs of 11 and three yards and caught two passes for five yards each during the final series.

JMU had gotten to within 29-27 on a 14-yard Rascati scoring run with 4:39 to play but couldn't convert on the two-point conversion pass that could have tied the score. William & Mary then moved for one first down before punting from its 43.

The win raised JMU's record to 5-4 overall and its Atlantic 10 mark to 3-3 and snapped a three-game Dukes losing streak. William & Mary fell to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Atlantic 10.

The game was close throughout with seven lead changes and neither team leading by more than the 29-21 advantage William & Mary took with 13:31 to play.

JMU overcame three interceptions and a lost fumble and compiled 395 total yards (259 rushing, 136 passing). The Dukes got a 134-yard effort on 24 carries from Banks, and Rascati ran for 65 yards and threw for 136.

Banks scored on a 42-yard run, a career-long carry, for a 14-13 JMU lead with 5:37 left in the first half and on a 17-yarder for a 21-19 JMU edge with 9:52 left in the third period.

William & Mary finished with 380 yards (166 rushing, 202 passing).

Both teams scored on their first possessions, William & Mary driving 68 yards in nine plays for a 30-yard Greg Kuehn field goal and JMU moving 80 yards in 13 plays for a 14-yard scoring run by junior tailback Maurice Fenner (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside).

William & Mary went in front 10-7 with 12:32 left in the first half when DeBrian Holmes capped a 29-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown run. William & Mary forced the Dukes to punt from deep in their territory and was aided by a facemask penalty against JMU on the return.

An interception on JMU's next offensive play gave William & Mary possession at the JMU 41, and Kuehn kicked a 26-yard field goal seven plays later for a 13-7 Tribe lead with 9:41 left in the half.

JMU came right back to take a 14-13 lead on Banks' 42-yard run, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive that also included three straight completions for 29 yards by Rascati.

After the teams traded punts, William & Mary took a 19-14 lead on the final play of the half when quarterback Jacob Phillips capped a 12-play, 70-yard drive that consumed 2:06 with a one-yard sneak.

JMU drove 77 yards in 11 plays to start the second half and take a 21-19 lead on Banks' second scoring run. Fenner had a 23-yard carry and Rascati an 11-yard completion to senior wide receiver Tahir Hinds (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) on a third-and-eight play from the JMU 37.

Kuehn's third field goal of the game, a 33-yarder with 3:04 left in the third quarter put William & Mary up 22-21 on the following series. A 45-yard flee-flicker pass from Phillips to Josh Lustig to the JMU 35 on the series' first play set up the score.

JMU's third turnover, a fumble at its 49 on the following series, set up a 17-yard scoring pass from Phillips to Joe Nicholas with 13:31 left to give William & Mary its 29-21 lead.

JMU returns home for its final two 2005 games, hosting conference foes Villanova next Saturday (Nov. 12) and Towson Nov. 19. Both games will begin at 1:30 p.m.